There is this striking similarity between the election of the first ever non-Italian Pope, the then Cardinal Carol Wojtylar (pronounced Carol Voytihwuh) of Poland in 1978 and the abysmal outing of the Nigerian contingent at the recently concluded Rio Olympics in Brazil. Shortly before the Conclave of Cardinals that would elect the next Pope, a barrage of Photo Journalists had accosted Wojtylar, who later appropriated the name Pope John Paul II, clicking away without let or hindrance.
Somewhat taken aback, if not out-rightly embarrassed at the unusual and unsolicited attention from the Press, the would-be Pope retorted: “Certainly, you do not think I will become the next Pope”. But because Wojtylar has been predestined to become Pope, he was accordingly elected and announced the next occupant of the Papacy after the symbolic smoke oozed out of the roofs of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The same way Cardinal Carol Wojtylar did not think he would become Pope, Nigeria’s contingent to the recently concluded Olympic Games in Rio never nursed any hope or ambition to put up any superlative performance at the global tournament: no thanks to shoddy preparations, poor logistics support and lack of the necessary and much required funds, the oil of success in matters like this.
Let’s go back a little into the history of the Olympics. In 1996, Great Britain finished 36th on the Medals table with one gold medal while Nigeria was ranked 32nd on the table. However, at the recently concluded Rio Olympics, Great Britain finished 2nd overall coasting home 27 Gold, 23 Silver and 17 bronze medals while Nigeria which ranked 32 in 1996 ended up 78th, an abysmal retrogression indeed!.
The question will naturally arise as to what has happened to Great Britain since 1996 to enable it improve dramatically while Nigeria has suffered a dip in fortune? What has Nigeria failed to do to build on the success of 1996? The answers to these questions do not require a crystal ball. Nigeria has simply failed to put its money where its mouth is. Nigeria as a country has failed to prepare for the funding of sports.
The quantum leap in the performance of Britain was not magic, neither was it predicated on voodoo. It was strictly the evident result of painstaking planning and clinical implementation of such plans. Worried by the abysmal performance of Britain in the 1996 Olympics and determined to take its rightful place in the Olympics, former British Prime Minister, John Major, took the bull by the horn by setting up the UK Sports to strategically invest National Lottery and Exchequer income to maximize the performance of UK athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the global events which precede them.
Investment decisions are made on a four-year basis to cover a complete Olympic or Paralympic cycle, but are focused on an eight-year performance development model while success is measured by the (number) of medals won, the number of medalists developed and the quality of the systems and processes in place and support the nation’s most promising future champions.
In addition to investing 70% of its income in Sports, UK Sports also runs a number of world leading centralized strategic support services including the development of world class coaches, running talent identification campaigns, Sports Science and Medicine, Warm weather training and administration, International competition schedules and Athlete development programme as well as Access to high performance training facilities to fast track future medalists in the right sports. All of these would appear to have paid off for Britain at the recently concluded Rio Olympics.
But what has happened to Nigeria to warrant its carting home only one bronze medal at the Rio Olympics? This dismal performance may not have come as a surprise to some given the chaotic state of the country’s preparation for the games and the abysmal funding available to its athletes. Imagine a situation where participants at the tourney were not properly kitted! Prior to the start of the games, it was reported that athletes billed to represent the country had been asked to source for funds to pay their airfares to the venue of the games in Brazil. While the accuracy of this report was denied by sports ministry officials, subsequent events and revelations at the games proper called into question the level of funding available for our athletes.
But long before the 2016 Olympics, Nigeria’s five-time Olympiad and former Queen of the Track, Chief Mary Onyali, has been concerned about the dwindling performance of Nigerian athletes in major continental and international tournaments and she decided to do something about it. Even though she was a 100-metre runner in her days on the track, Onyali behaved like a long distance runner who starts his race early when she, in concert with some former Nigerian internationals, conceptualized the Nigerian Olympic Fund (NOF) some seven years ago to provide funds for Nigerian participants in future Olympics and enhance their performance.
Speaking at the Celebrity Endorsement to kick-start the NOF recently in Ado-Ekiti, Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekitit (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, who Onyali revealed was overwhelmingly voted as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Basic Olympic Opportunity Sports Training (BOOST), said the dismal performance during the last Rio Olympics and the dwindling fortunes of sports in the country constitute wake-up calls on all lovers of sports and well-meaning Nigerians.
He therefore called on all tiers of government and public-spirited individuals to make it a point of duty to contribute to the funding of sports to improve Nigeria’s standing in continental and world tournaments and discourage a repeat of the frustrations that emanated from the just concluded Games in Brazil.
Babalola, a Sports enthusiast who has made the first rate Sporting facilities like the nine beautiful courts, the lush 1000-seater Sport Pavilion, the Olympic size Swimming Pool, the modern Football pitch, the multi-billion Naira Talent Discovery Centre which houses 28 different Games among others in his university available for the training of young athletes who will later become stars, added that “we will deliberately turn our fortunes right in Sports and indeed in other areas of human endeavour. I must point out that Government cannot do it alone. There is need for private participation”.
As a practical demonstration of his commitment and support for the project, Babalola announced a donation of N10 million as part of his contributions to the Fund and success of sports in the country, stressing that he has warmed up to the idea because it tallies with ABUAD’s objective of pioneering excellence along the parameters and perimeters of teaching, research, superlative performance in sports, community impact and scholarship as well as exemplary character.
He therefore lauded Onyali, the Executive Director (Technical) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NOF, Mr. Olajide Fashikun, for the bold and altruistic initiative and urged other Universities in Nigeria to key into the NOF initiative in the overall interest of all.
Onyali, in an address at the event, extolled Babalola for his support for sports administration and his acclaimed philanthropic inclinations, the main reasons why he enjoyed the overwhelming endorsement of former Nigerian internationals to emerge the Chairman of the Governing Board of BOOST.
The former Sprinter turned Sports Administrator said the Celebrity Endorsement which flagged off with Babalola’s public identification with the project is targeted at 10,000 celebrities through which “we shall bring one million children into sports in four years. We have got the latent talents in this country. We shall recruit and keep the very best coaches, sports scientists and sports medics, referees, umpires, volunteers and all”.
On the proceeds accruable to the Fund, she said: “Whatever monies they give us, we shall take 10% into the National Athlete Welfare Fund to care for ageing former sportsmen and women 30% goes into the NOC Solidarity Fund which sports federations will be able to access based on performance. 50% goes into the BOOST project. The balance of 10% shall go into our operational account to drive this advocacy process.
According to her, Ekiti state will from January 2017 enjoy the pilot of the project. Six schools have been named and the Elite Athletes programme for Tokyo 2020 will begin in ABUAD.
“It is my prayer that we will have the courage to be the change agent for sports in this nation. We look forward to the changes in the various communities in a short while. Our return to glory as a nation is here”.
“From 2018, there will be youth leagues where these kids will compete at state, zonal and national levels. A new generation of stars will be born, professionally-supported and managed to stardom. Our nation will never be the same. Over 27,000 professionals will be expected to work with us on this project at maturity” she concluded.
With Onyali and Babalola’s intervention, perhaps Nigeria will gradually graduate off the hackneyed phrase that “the joy of Olympics is in participation and not in winning”. That warped and twisted logic should be done away with and the time for that is now.
- Olofintila wrote from Ado-Ekiti.
- Source: TheNation